Sleep and Weight Management

Having trouble getting enough Zzzz’s? Tossing and turning all night long? Sleep deprivation and lack of energy can do more than just affect your productivity during the day. If you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or poor quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly. Lack of sleep can also affect your waist line. The sabotage begins with cravings for comfort food such as munching on potato chips. Poor food choices can lead to unwanted  pounds. Research suggests an individual needs approximately 7.5 hours of quality sleep each night. Two hormones are key in understanding the sleep-diet connection. These hormones are called ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin tells your body when to eat, and when you are sleep deprived, ghrelin levels are high. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and it is high when you are sleep deprived.  These two factors can lead to unwanted weight gain related to eating more plus working with a slower metabolism. 

So, how can you make sure to get good sleep each night?

1. Avoid caffeine after 2pm. Remember caffeine in in many different foods such as coffees, teas, dark chocolate.

2. Physical activity- the timing of physical activity can affect everyone differently. Some people cannot exercise before bed, but it helps others sleep better. Experiment and determine which works best for you. If you can’t hit the gym, try to walk at least 1 mile each day.

3. Avoid eating a big, rich meal before bedtime- try a healthy snack like cereal or nuts if you're hungry before you go to bed. This will help you avoid unwanted indigestion and heartburn.

Sweet dreams!